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Innovation is frequently mentioned in the corporate setting, to communicate new thinking and the need for transformation. The vast majority of companies seek to innovate by means that are outside of the scope of their organizations. Though companies invest in research and development, few did so without first reflecting on one essential factor: is the company ready to innovate?
To answer this question, it is first necessary to assess the level of employee collaboration in terms of sharing knowledge and skills with each other. It is timely to check if (and how) these talents are integrated. Whether they work together by organization, or they are like being on islands – separate as if they are like affiliates, from sectors and remain as individuals. Throughout 13 years of experience, in our work of transforming companies to generate innovation and growth, we at Consulus have learned that it is necessary to search within the organizations themselves, to identify their capacity to innovate and grow. And that only in a climate of real unity, will it be possible to innovate.
Aware of this reality, Banco do Nordeste do Brasil (BNB) invited Consulus to carry out an innovation workshop with its business executives from the state of Bahia. In a three-day meeting, the Unify 4.0 Workshop was held, which included a reflection on the present and future of the BNB, the creation of a new strategy of business visits and, finally, an evaluation of the overall results of the work.
A few weeks before the event, respondents responded to the Unity Audit 4.0 via a link – the respondents remained anonymous. The research aims to find out about the employees’ perception about the bank’s organizational structure, the business model and the brand experience, how these three elements shapes a collaborative environment for innovation,
The results revealed by the research guided the Unify Workshop 4.0, which provided an environment of reflection and inputs for the managers and team at BNB of Bahia, in order to inspire them to develop strategies of innovation, both for the bank and to optimize its performance in the market.
Introduction to Consulus insights on innovation; perspectives and opportunities for collaboration; Consulus Unify methodology, with an emphasis on purpose and unity (PurposeCORE).
One of the requirements of BNB for this meeting was to optimize the approach with prospects and clients, in order to generate more business effectively. Using the Consulus 6Ps method of ensuring a relational approach to implementing an idea, participants developed a new approach towards this goal of generating more business. Thus, in preparing visits and business meetings, executives began to analyze the opportunities, considering the (1) Plans/projects of these prospects; (2) People at the front of the projects on proposal; The effectiveness of (3) Processes; A (4) Performance, or the measurement of the impact of these projects on the company and the market; A (5) Promotion, in terms of internal and external communication; And, finally, the (6) Practices, or the evaluation of the degree of natural interaction of the collaborators and partners of these clients, in the projects.
Group photo with the participants
On the second day, executives went on previously scheduled visits to implement the new approach based on the Consulus 6Ps method. The intention was to motivate the bank’s clients, the entrepreneurs to transform their business through innovation, among other investment solutions offered by the BNB as a financial agent.
The main insights gained from the Unity 4.0 audit for the BNB were shared and discussed by all, including the state Superintendent, Mr. Antônio Jorge Guimarães. The points of improvement revealed by the research generated a rich debate, with ideas, constructive criticism and suggestions.
At the meeting of the evaluation of the results of the work, several participants expressed themselves. Agency manager Diego Batista commented that innovation can have many meanings, and that in the case of the BNB of Bahia, it is synonymous with courage, to reinvent itself from the inside out. Yuri Chaves, also an agency manager, said that contact with the Consulus methodology could help BNB innovate internally, redesign current products and design new credit programs. For this executive, technological innovation is relatively easy, as it would be enough to acquire know-how and equipment. However, “the Consulus methodology ratified that our biggest differentiation is people, because they make the BNB a specialist bank in the Northeast, something that no competitor will be able to copy,” he concluded.
Regarding the application of the new approach in the visits, Raquel Maschietto, Superintendence’s Business Manager, commented that her group managed to work very well because of the 6Ps during the business meetings. Sidney da Nóbrega, the agency manager, said: “We have had contact with another vision but this 6Ps approach helps us rethink.” Sydney Salomão, also an agency manager, explained that prior to using the Consulus methodology when visiting an industry, he usually focus on equipment and supplies financing. Analyzing the companies through the 6Ps methodology was very useful because he could see new business opportunities which can be facilitated by the Bank’s various lines of credit.
From left to right: Ana Cassiópia (Executive Manager of BNB), Carlos Xavier (Senior Consultant at Consulus Brazil), Antônio Jorge Guimarães (Superintendent)
This dialogue environment, enabled by the Consulus methodology, inspired the creation of a document to continue the action plans, with several proposals to improve the performance of employees and the Institution, in the important role as a development bank.
The State Executive Manager, Ana Cassiopia, believes that “an environment of cooperation and collegiality has been established for a joint work of the Bahia Superintendence, perhaps never experienced in recent times. In this experience with Consulus, a new evolution has emerged where human relations are valued. “
BNB’s Superintendent in Bahia, Mr. Antônio Jorge Guimarães, summarized his impression of working with Consulus:
The UNIFY workshop helped us build trust, something I’ve been trying to do with my team for some time. It helped them to be more receptive to criticisms and suggestions for improvement as well as to sincerely say what they think for the benefit of individual growth and the institution. In addition, the workshop introduced to us a new methodology for innovation, which aims to strengthen relationships, gather people and bring out the best of each member.
